I am thinking about a new aphorism to guide my thoughts
and actions. It pertains to seeking ideas and advice from others.
It goes like
this: Ask a novice and you are likely to get one answer that
looks like one of these: “I don’t know,” I’m not sure,” or “Maybe X” [I omitted
the “I know not what” part for those not familiar with John Locke’s notion of
substance].
Ask an expert and you are likely to get at least two
answers that look something like these: “It could be X or it could be Y,” and “Research
shows different results in different situations” and “In this case Z might be best
– give it your best shot.”
Ask a world-class scholar (assuming you can find a
living one) and you are likely to get at least three answers which resemble something like the following: “Well, that is an interesting question which
deserves some scrutiny; I am familiar with a case somewhat like this in which X
was tried with somewhat mixed results; in a different situation Y seemed to
work but it may not be appropriate in this case; on the other hand, you might consider Z; what do you think?”
